Hello Again!

Yes, I have been busy. this is Annmarie Lockhart of Vox Poetica Poetry and Publishing (my newest poem 'Waiting' and 'Arch' were published on her site) helping me man the table- checking ID's for wine sales, so the other guys could have a break. Do I look sunburned- oh hell yes I am. I  had sun screen on, but it became over cast and this is not a good combination for a 'ghost white fair skin girl' like me.

I will be back this next week with poetry, photos and stories. WAMPP Festival is over until October 23rd at the winery and a few fundraiser parties people are throwing. Oh how I am ready to get back to the writing, and a little more serious about working out with Brian, my gym trainer- he let me have two weeks off to run around and get things together.

Oh and I have some news, I will upload video this weekend of my new group- Red Dashboard. Musician friends Eli and Flora are doing music with my writing in the recording studio, with my reading. Twice we have performed in front of the public and they really seem like what we are doing, so we will officially begin next week working on new material, and a CD release. Poor Annmarie had to be part of my performance art last Saturday when I did a piece called 'Summer Kiss'- but you will see that in the video. We had fun, oh what fun...sultry fun!

Hope all is well with you, and I am starting to have some free time to catch up with you all! Miss ya'll! I am ready for our trip to Spain too...life is good, hope yours is good too! Hugs to everyone!

Life Sucks...Now and Then

A friend of mine to whom I have only known for a few years was diagnosed with a rare form of Pancreatic Cancer- after it was all too well settled into her body. Chemo is not working, and they gave her six months, maybe a year. She is only 44 years old. Barely married to Joe for less than ten years, Lisa is a beautiful person inside and out. She looks like Jackie-O and dresses like her too.

Right after Anelisa died, I met a woman named Jo Wagner. We were friends for two years, when she also got cancer. She was the biggest inspiration, and one of my biggest cheerleaders. Not a day goes by I do not think of her and smile. I miss her. I miss Lisa. I want to go have lunch with her and laugh.

Somehow we have to go on with our life, and remember the beauty that crosses our path; its hard. Life sucks now and then...I honestly love everything in this world...even you!

Go over and read What's Cooking With Doc- Chaos

Oh, and even though I love ya- don't give me this "They are in a better place" crap. I can tell you that so many people who have been through losing someone, they have also told me it is the worse thing you can say to a grieving person! Just a hug will do...

Amusing Musings

This photo reminds me of hubby and I, so maybe a poem is in order-

The One

They say when two people spend many years
together they begin to look alike, but

tonight or day your face, bright eyes,
and smile will always attract me

How funny, athletic, similar, but variant
we have always been. No one realizes

your neither quiet, nor reserved
as you may appear, and you

will always be so my type. Even
when we are apart, or I am on the edge of insanity

the solid ground you stand will be my focus, and
not the sting life can hold

Deep Ellum Blues

This past Saturday, two of my younger singer/songwriters Lance Greene and Danielle Steward were talking about the rise in the world of Open Mic. About how we bar our teeth on the experience of others; it made me want to check up on a few of my old open mic/slam poets in Dallas. So, I called Clebo to see how his wife Naomi was doing, as she has had a couple of bouts with cancer. To see if he is still teaching at SMU, and how the Poetry scene is doing in Dallas.

Clebo told me, "Things have come and gone, and are re-emerging from separatism of black and white poets back to the way it was in our day"...I tried to encourage him to not let his age make him feel he has nothing to pass on to the younger poets. We do not need drugs and alcohol to fuel our fiery words. We can keep the younger kids on their toes, show the inexperienced generation how to rock the stage.

After much thinking, I began to play with writing this piece about the 80's and 90's in Deep Ellum, David Chumley's (A NYC bar owner, who was forced out of his warehouse/bar/motorcycle space, our open mic fortress, closed down and returned back to NY), and Club Clearview (he said is gone now).

Lance, Danielle  made me feel young again, and we had some great laughs at WAMPP @ Amalthea...but as you read this, imagine my voice, accent, and hear it as a spoken word piece, not just one of my regular poems- attitude man, attitude...

Drug of Choice

In The Day my legs itched
to inhale the sights and sounds

of Deep Ellum, to tattoo bar space
grit and spoken word under my skin

Black on black, Doc Martins, reflective
silver chains hang from jeans to knees

as aging poets stepping up to the mic
one hand in their pocket, while weed

followed fierce like young
writers craving slam points

words enter your veins
slow dripping IV caused racing beats

moving to inner thighs
a young girls eyes rolling back; but

SILENCED Johnny kasmic rush with loud slams
exit door closures defibulating the room

Often, rantings of tits, pussy, beautiful
women under thunderous touch crowned Kings

I longed to mirror urban legends, authors-
wanting recognition- to raise eyebrows

Clebo Rainey, Danny Solis- LOUD southern
voices howl, defining Immoral Substance Abuse